President Daniel K.Y. Han of the Legislative Yuan attends conferment ceremony for Professor Lee Chia-Chin, recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star; President Han: Professor Lee rightfully honored with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, and we hope to further deepen Taiwan-Japan exchanges
President Daniel K.Y. Han of the Legislative Yuan attended the conferment ceremony for Professor Lee Chia-Chin, recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, held at noon on March 24. The event was hosted by the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Association"). Distinguished guests in attendance included KMT Vice Chairperson Sean Lien, Secretary-General Huang Chien-Ting, former Taoyuan County Magistrate John Wu, UMC Honorary Chairman Stan Shih, TSMC Charity Foundation CEO Brad Peng, as well as approximately 50 representatives from various sectors who had gathered to celebrate the occasion.
The conferment ceremony began with remarks by Ambassador Katayama Kazuyuki, who presented the certificate and medal to Professor Lee Chia-Chin. This was followed by speeches from Professor Lee and Vice Chairperson Sean Lien. Once the luncheon formally commenced, the organizers specially invited President Han to deliver his remarks on stage. President Han began by expressing his honor in attending the conferment ceremony for Professor Lee Chia-Chin as President of the Legislative Yuan, and he extended his heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the Legislative Yuan. President Han went on to praise Professor Lee’s distinguished academic and professional background, noting his former role as Chairman of the Association of East Asian Relations. He described Professor Lee as one of Taiwan’s most prominent Japan experts, and a long-time friend with whom he served as fellow legislators in the 4th Legislative Yuan 26 years ago.
President Han continued by noting the close ties between Taiwan and Japan. He highlighted that in 2024, Japanese visitors once again became the largest source of international travelers to Taiwan, with a total of 1.18 million arrivals. He also noted that Japan has remained the top travel destination for Taiwanese visitors for three consecutive years. In 2024 alone, the number of Taiwanese visits to Japan reached 6.04 million—a remarkable figure considering Taiwan’s population of approximately 23 million. In addition, President Han cited a survey conducted by the Taipei Representative Office in Japan at the end of last year, which revealed that as many as 76.6% of the Japanese public feel a sense of closeness toward Taiwan, which is an impressive reflection of the deep friendship between Taiwan and Japan.
President Han then shared, in his capacity as President of the Legislative Yuan Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association, that in the current 11th Legislative Yuan, 85 out of 113 legislators—spanning across party lines—have joined the association. This makes it the largest caucus-based group in the Legislative Yuan, underscoring the strong bipartisan commitment to advancing Taiwan-Japan relations. In addition, President Han noted the growing depth of economic and trade cooperation between Taiwan and Japan. He highlighted that TSMC established its first semiconductor fabrication plant in Kumamoto Prefecture in February last year, marking the first overseas plant completed since the pandemic—an important milestone in Taiwan-Japan technological collaboration. The plant officially began mass production at the end of last year, and construction of a second facility is expected to begin in the first quarter of this year. President Han expressed hope that Taiwan’s high-tech industries will continue to expand across various regions of Japan in the future. In addition to cooperation among major corporations, exchanges between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Taiwan and Japan have also been highly active. President Han expressed his hope for continued strengthening of bilateral collaboration to build a more resilient global industrial supply chain.
President Han commended Professor Lee for his unwavering dedication to strengthening Taiwan-Japan relations, stating that he is truly deserving of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star bestowed by the Japanese government. He expressed hope that Professor Lee will continue to contribute his expertise to advancing bilateral exchanges and cooperation. President Han also extended special thanks to Ambassador Katayama for his proactive efforts since taking office to deepen Taiwan-Japan relations and foster strong ties with all sectors of Taiwanese society. He concluded by stating his confidence that, through the joint efforts of Professor Lee and Ambassador Katayama, the friendship between Taiwan and Japan will continue to reach new heights. President Han concluded by encouraging all sectors of society to promote international exchanges and cooperation with a spirit of inclusiveness, mutual trust, and greater understanding. He also welcomed the distinguished guests in attendance to visit the Legislative Yuan at their convenience to further strengthen ties.
Following the ceremony, President Han, Professor Lee Chia-Chin, Ambassador Katayama, Vice Chairperson Sean Lien, and all distinguished guests were invited on stage for a commemorative group photo. The atmosphere was warm, relaxed, and congenial, and the event concluded successfully after approximately two hours.
The conferment ceremony began with remarks by Ambassador Katayama Kazuyuki, who presented the certificate and medal to Professor Lee Chia-Chin. This was followed by speeches from Professor Lee and Vice Chairperson Sean Lien. Once the luncheon formally commenced, the organizers specially invited President Han to deliver his remarks on stage. President Han began by expressing his honor in attending the conferment ceremony for Professor Lee Chia-Chin as President of the Legislative Yuan, and he extended his heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the Legislative Yuan. President Han went on to praise Professor Lee’s distinguished academic and professional background, noting his former role as Chairman of the Association of East Asian Relations. He described Professor Lee as one of Taiwan’s most prominent Japan experts, and a long-time friend with whom he served as fellow legislators in the 4th Legislative Yuan 26 years ago.
President Han continued by noting the close ties between Taiwan and Japan. He highlighted that in 2024, Japanese visitors once again became the largest source of international travelers to Taiwan, with a total of 1.18 million arrivals. He also noted that Japan has remained the top travel destination for Taiwanese visitors for three consecutive years. In 2024 alone, the number of Taiwanese visits to Japan reached 6.04 million—a remarkable figure considering Taiwan’s population of approximately 23 million. In addition, President Han cited a survey conducted by the Taipei Representative Office in Japan at the end of last year, which revealed that as many as 76.6% of the Japanese public feel a sense of closeness toward Taiwan, which is an impressive reflection of the deep friendship between Taiwan and Japan.
President Han then shared, in his capacity as President of the Legislative Yuan Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association, that in the current 11th Legislative Yuan, 85 out of 113 legislators—spanning across party lines—have joined the association. This makes it the largest caucus-based group in the Legislative Yuan, underscoring the strong bipartisan commitment to advancing Taiwan-Japan relations. In addition, President Han noted the growing depth of economic and trade cooperation between Taiwan and Japan. He highlighted that TSMC established its first semiconductor fabrication plant in Kumamoto Prefecture in February last year, marking the first overseas plant completed since the pandemic—an important milestone in Taiwan-Japan technological collaboration. The plant officially began mass production at the end of last year, and construction of a second facility is expected to begin in the first quarter of this year. President Han expressed hope that Taiwan’s high-tech industries will continue to expand across various regions of Japan in the future. In addition to cooperation among major corporations, exchanges between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Taiwan and Japan have also been highly active. President Han expressed his hope for continued strengthening of bilateral collaboration to build a more resilient global industrial supply chain.
President Han commended Professor Lee for his unwavering dedication to strengthening Taiwan-Japan relations, stating that he is truly deserving of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star bestowed by the Japanese government. He expressed hope that Professor Lee will continue to contribute his expertise to advancing bilateral exchanges and cooperation. President Han also extended special thanks to Ambassador Katayama for his proactive efforts since taking office to deepen Taiwan-Japan relations and foster strong ties with all sectors of Taiwanese society. He concluded by stating his confidence that, through the joint efforts of Professor Lee and Ambassador Katayama, the friendship between Taiwan and Japan will continue to reach new heights. President Han concluded by encouraging all sectors of society to promote international exchanges and cooperation with a spirit of inclusiveness, mutual trust, and greater understanding. He also welcomed the distinguished guests in attendance to visit the Legislative Yuan at their convenience to further strengthen ties.
Following the ceremony, President Han, Professor Lee Chia-Chin, Ambassador Katayama, Vice Chairperson Sean Lien, and all distinguished guests were invited on stage for a commemorative group photo. The atmosphere was warm, relaxed, and congenial, and the event concluded successfully after approximately two hours.